I really can’t begin to explain how excited I get when I’m able to study the Bible—whether on my own or with others. I love it even more when people indulge me in conversations about what they’re learning about God and His Word. It brings me so much joy! I desire to see many more people experience this same joy through Bible study—to be genuinely excited about reading and studying the Scriptures. With that in mind, this blog post seeks to share a few details that may be helpful as we step into the year 2026, in Jesus’ name
Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit:
You know, Jesus Christ told His disciples many years ago about the Holy Spirit. The same message He left with His disciples remains as relevant to many of us who choose to be friends with Him, and even more so to His disciples. He said,
“I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me”
– John 15:26-27.
Our good God has been so benevolent that He didn’t leave us to figure things out on our own. He gave us His Holy Spirit to teach us all things—to illuminate His truth and open up His Word to us in ways we could never achieve by mere intellect. As much as we give ourselves to studying the Word, the Holy Spirit meets us there and brings understanding, depth, and life to the Scriptures.
So before you embark on this journey of truly enjoying God’s Word, I highly recommend that you ask God to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. This is not about religion or routine; it is about a relationship. Oh! It is such a beautiful thing to study God’s Word in the company of the Holy Spirit. The Bible stops being just words on a page and becomes alive, personal, and deeply transformative.
Personally, I’ve found that the Holy Spirit even has a sense of humor that absolutely fascinates me. There are moments during Bible study when He highlights something in such a tender or unexpected way that I’m left giggling—overwhelmed by how intentional and loving God is. Those moments remind me that Bible study isn’t meant to be dry or burdensome; it’s meant to be joyful, intimate, and full of wonder when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.
Prepare Your Mind:
Now that you have the Holy Spirit with you, keep this in mind: He won’t force you to drink—you gotta make up your mind to go drink. He invites, He nudges, He draws, but He does not override your will. You have to purpose in your heart and make a conscious decision to show up, open your Bible, and say, “Lord, I want to know You.”
You have to intentionally create space for the Word. Choose to sit with it. Choose to linger. Choose to keep reading even when it feels slow or when understanding doesn’t come immediately. That decision—to drink from the Word consistently—is where transformation begins. The Holy Spirit will gladly meet you there, guide your thoughts, highlight truth, and bring revelation, but you must decide that Bible study is not optional, rushed, or secondary.
When you make up your mind to drink, He ensures you are never left thirsty. Every time you return to the Word with a willing heart, there is fresh insight, fresh grace, and fresh joy waiting for you.
Prepare Your Space:
I personally believe that our environment plays a powerful role in what we’re able to accomplish—especially when it’s intentionally structured. For me, creating an ambience that’s saturated with God’s presence makes all the difference. Whether I’m curled up in my bed or settled into my favorite chair.
Now, it’s not always that ideal. There have been moments when my Bible study happened on a train while I was in transit. Yet, one thing that remains almost constant—regardless of my location—is the ambience of God’s presence. Soft worship music playing gently in my ears, my highlighter and phone within reach, my journal and notepads open—ready for me to write down the things that fascinate me or catch my attention as I read. In those moments, the space becomes sacred, no matter where I am.
With all of this in mind, I encourage you to discover your own “perfect space”—the place where you can consistently meet with God. It doesn’t have to be elaborate; it just needs to be intentional. Identify the environment that helps you slow down, focus, and stay present with Him daily. Because if this is something you truly want to commit to this year, consistency is key. And consistency starts with showing up—every single day.
Which brings me to my next point.
Mark Out Time Daily:
At Bible study one day, someone said something that completely changed the game for me. He said we should make time for God the same way we would for a date. I don’t think I am writing this as well as it landed in my heart that night. Writing it today doesn’t even come close to how much sense it made in my head when I first heard it. But let me try again.
Imagine you had a standing date with a friend every single day at 9:00 pm. You wouldn’t casually skip it. You’d do your very best to show up—daily. And on the days when something came up, and you couldn’t make it, you wouldn’t just brush it off. You’d rearrange things, move schedules around, and find a way to make it up to them, because the relationship matters.
In the same way, we can adopt this mindset with God. Choose a specific time each day—one you realistically know you can commit to—and make it your daily meeting with Him. Then, intentionally show up. Show up daily.
It doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. For some, it might be 5:00 am before the day begins. For others, it could be 11:00 pm when everything finally quiets down. Whatever time works best for you, choose it—and make up your mind to meet with God through His Word every single day. You can even set a reminder for yourself if that helps. Not as pressure, but as a gentle nudge that says, this matters.
Because relationships grow with consistency. And our walk with God is no different.
Find a Bible Plan:
Oh! Bible reading plans have truly blessed my life. Every time I have read the Bible from start to finish, I did so using Bible plans—all of them from YouVersion. While I genuinely recommend the YouVersion app for its versatility and convenience, it’s not the only option. There are many other solid Bible reading plans available. God has truly blessed the body of Christ with an abundance of resources. So my dear, be intentional about leveraging what’s available to you this year. The Lord will help you, in Jesus’ name.
Invite the Holy Spirit into this plan of yours:
Remember the Holy Spirit we spoke about earlier, He is the best partner for this journey you are about to embark on. Take Him along as you choose your bible plan, as you mark out the time of the day, as you become more intentional with your walk with God this year. I recommend you speak to Him, speak with Him from the depths of your heart. Express your fears, challenges, expectations, goals, and your desire to be closer to God, then ask Him to help you. Ask Him to help you to show up daily at the feet of Jesus, ask Him to help you show up daily at your set “date” time, ask Him to help you navigate your bible study, ask Him to comprehend the things you read, ask Him. He never gets burdened or weary of helping those who genuinely ask and allow Him help.
Explore different Bible translations. Choose the one(s) that work best for you:
When I first started reading the Bible—and honestly, even now—the King James Version didn’t quite do it for me. I began with the New Living Translation, then there was a season when I was very into The Message translation. These days, I mostly stay with the New King James Version, but I still find myself curious about how other translations express the same passages. Switching between versions keeps me intrigued and genuinely excited about God’s Word. That’s one of the reasons I highly recommend the YouVersion app—it gives you that kind of versatility. I encourage you to try different Bible translations, especially ones that break God’s Word down into simpler bits for you. Start there, grow from there, and keep going.
Explore the use of the audio bible:
My dear, I won’t pretend there haven’t been days when I was simply too exhausted to study the Bible the way I should. And you know there’s a difference between just reading and actually studying, yes. On days like that—when my body wants the opposite of what my spirit desires—I lean on the audio Bible feature in the app. Because truly, the entrance of God’s Word brings light to your body, soul, and spirit (Psalm 119:130). God’s Word still reaches your spirit. So please, leverage it, dear. Don’t let physical exhaustion or flimsy excuses keep you from drawing nearer to God this new year. Plug your ears, let the Bible play in the background, and lie still.
Show up daily to your appointment with God:
Make up your mind ot show up daily! No matter what it takes you, show up! Don’t let any day go by where you didn’t make time for your Father.
Ask the Holy Spirit questions as you study:
But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. – John 14:26. This verse pretty much sums up the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There is no way else I could put it, but I recommend that as you study your bible in the new year, pause to ask Him questions, wait for His response. Sometimes He explains things through an interaction you might have after your bible study, sometimes it is illumination as you listen for His explanation. However, do not let a day pass by when and where you do not ask the Holy Spirit questions.
Engage friends who may have similar goals as you:
If you can find a circle of friends that could hold you accountable, help keep the fire burning – by all means, please engage your circle.
Don’t Give up, Keep Going!:
May the good Lord go with you this new year as you desire to grow with Him. May you gain roots downwards and bear fruits